Page 8 - Edwards AFB Desert Wings 12-11-15

8 Desert Wings December 11, 2015
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Tax center dates, eligibility, volunteer information

by Capt. Jorge Martinez Dates, location When you call, you will be told what than $100,000 in tax prep fees. The success
Edwards Tax Center OIC you will need to bring to your Tax Cen- of this program is due to the dedication and
The Tax Center is scheduled to open WHUDSSRLQWPHQW:DONLQVDUHZHOFRPH active participation of volunteers from the
The primary mission of the Tax Center Feb. 2, 2016, and remain open through however, appointments take priority and community. Whether military or civilian, of-
is to provide free computerized prepara- April 14. The center will tentatively be walk-ins will be seen contingent upon the ¿FHURUHQOLVWHGDQ\RQHLQWHUHVWHGFDQYRO-
tion and electronic filing of Federal and open 8 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m., Tuesdays availability of a preparer. unteer. Volunteers will be considered to be
California state income tax returns to mil- and Thursdays. The center is located in on duty when volunteering at the Tax Center.
itary personnel and eligible dependents. Bldg. 7210 at 1100 Kincheloe Ave. near Volunteers
the U.S. Post Office. Volunteers will act as IRS-certified tax
The Tax Center is staffed by volunteers The 2016 Edwards AFB Tax Center is still SUHSDUHUVDFFRUGLQJO\YROXQWHHUVPXVWFRP-
who are certified to prepare returns by Appointments looking for volunteers to help during the up- SOHWHWKH,56FHUWL¿FDWLRQFRXUVH9ROXQWHHUV
both the IRS and the California Franchise coming tax season. will also need to attend in-person IRS and
Tax Board. This popular program pro- We anticipate taking appointments California Franchise Tax Board trainings.
vides tax preparation services to hundreds VWDUWLQJ-DQ7RVFKHGXOHDQ Each year, the U.S. Air Force assists mili- The IRS training will run from Jan. 12-15,
of customers each year. appointment, please call 661-275-ETAX tary members and their families by providing 2016 and the California Franchise Tax Board
during the below hours: IUHHLQFRPHWD[SUHSDUDWLRQDQG¿OLQJ7KH WUDLQLQJZLOOUXQIURP-DQ%RWKWUDLQ-
As many of you recall, due to a severe Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program ings will be held on base.
shortage of manpower, the 2015 Tax Cen- Mondays and Wednesdays: 8 a.m. to 4 depends on the support of volunteers who
ter was limited in its size and scope. For p.m. can commit their time and effort to preparing To volunteer, contact Capt. Jorge Marti-
the 2016 tax season, anyone eligible for DQG¿OLQJWD[UHWXUQV nez at Jorge.Martinez.18@us.af.mil, or call
legal assistance under AFI 51-504 is eli- Tuesdays and Thursdays: 10 a.m to 4 661-277-4310.
gible for the Tax Center’s services. p.m. In past tax seasons, the Tax Center has
saved the Edwards AFB community more
Fridays: 8 a.m. to noon

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by Rebecca Amber Air Force photographs by Rebecca Amber
Staff writer
Left: 2YHUDOOZLQQHUDQGWRSXQGHU¿QLVKHU=DFN*LOEHUWVRQFDPHLQZLWKDWLPHRI
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Comet all $VKHFURVVHGWKH¿QLVKOLQH(GZDUGWKH5HLQGHHUUDQLQEHKLQGKLPAbove: Runners
took off like it was a quarter to midnight in the 7th Annual Reindeer Run take off in the Base Exchange parking with Edward the
on Christmas Eve at the 7th Annual Rein- Reindeer leading the way.
deer Run Dec. 4.

Around 250 runners gathered in the
Exchange parking lot with many wearing
antlers and Christmas decorations for the
5K event.

7KH UDLVHG LQ SDUWLFLSDWLRQ
fees will be donated to unfunded and par-
tially unfunded sports teams at Desert Jr.
-Sr. High. Tennis, golf and wrestling are
all unfunded. Cross Country and Soccer
have partial funding. More than 50 of the
Reindeer Run participants were members
of those sports teams.

The event organizers, the Edwards Of-
¿FHU¶V6SRXVHV&OXEZLOOYRWHRQKRZWKH
money will be divided among the teams
in January.

The overall winner and top under 12
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RI+HZDVIROORZHGFORVHO\EHKLQG
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at 22:06.

MDA, from 1 to launch in the back of the aircraft conducting a countdown sonnel from the MDA, Air Force, Navy, Army and contractors
“similar to what you would hear on the news for a space DOOZRUNLQJDWGLIIHUHQWORFDWLRQVDFURVVWKH3DFL¿F2FHDQ
Edwards crew, launched a second target, an extended Medium shuttle launch.”
5DQJH%DOOLVWLF0LVVLOHH05%0LQWRWKHGHEULV¿HOGFUH- Each C-17 was paired with a P-3 Orion chase plane for
ated by the THAAD weapon system,which intercepted and “A test this complex, with multiple dynamic players, made photo support and a KC-135 for aerial refueling. Below them,
destroyed the SRALT. One important aspect of the test event WKH¿QDOPRPHQWVRIWKHFRXQWGRZQYHU\LQWHQVHIRUDOOSDU- DVKLSNQRZQDV3DFL¿F&ROOHFWRUDFWHGDVDWHOHPHWU\DQG
was to demonstrate that Aegis BMD was able to detect a tar- ties involved,” said Ris. UDQJHVDIHW\UHSUHVHQWDWLYH7KHSDFL¿FFROOHFWRUPRQLWRUHG
JHWLQVLGHRIDGHEULV¿HOG the health of the missile throughout the launch until its ter-
Koether added, “We’re really max-performing the airplane mination.
Aegis BMD detected and tracked the eMRBM with its WRPDNHVXUHZHGURSWKHPLVVLOHDWDVSHFL¿FORFDWLRQDWD
radar from the USS John Paul Jones while simultaneously VSHFL¿FWLPHDWDVSHFL¿FDOWLWXGH7KDWZDVZKDWZHZHUH According to Ris there were also two control rooms in other
HQJDJLQJD%40(DLUEUHDWKLQJWDUJHWZLWKD6WDQGDUG tasked to do and we did that very well.” parts of the world monitoring the test.
Missile-2 Block IIIA guided missile.
In addition to the precise timing, the high-altitude drop was “It was a long test and I think the Edwards crews and the
The USS John Paul Jones successfully launched a Stan- done from just below 25,000 feet requiring the crew to breathe maintenance crews with their planes were very professional
dard Missile-3 Block IB Threat Upgrade guided missile, but R[\JHQIRUWKHGXUDWLRQRIWKHLQÀLJKWEXLOGXSWRWKH the entire time,” said Koether. “[Large & heavy, high-altitude
DQDQRPDO\HDUO\LQLWVÀLJKWSUHYHQWHGDPLGFRXUVHLQWHUFHSW drop itself. The eMRBM was extracted from the AFTC C-17 airdrops are] never an easy thing and every drop presents chal-
The THAAD weapon system, which had also been tracking using an experimental carriage extraction system to pull it out lenges. I think we have the expertise here at Edwards and at
the eMRBM in a terminal defense role, acquired and success- of the aircraft. The non-standard rigging is used to mitigate the test center to overcome those challenges and bring success
fully intercepted the target. the issues associated with high altitude airdrop and launch the to the mission both for us and the Missile Defense Agency.”
PLVVLOHLQWKHVDIHVWPRVWHI¿FLHQWZD\SRVVLEOH7KHPLVVLOH
According to Capt. Patrick Ris, 418th FLTS, C-17 experi- went up into space and came back down. The MDA will use test results to improve and enhance
mental test pilot, the eMRBM was launched according to plan Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, which is the naval com-
H[DFWO\PLQXWHVDQGVHFRQGVDIWHUWKH65$/7:KLOH Koether added that due to the highly complex nature of the ponent of the Missile Defense Agency’s Ballistic Missile
.RHWKHUDQG5LVZHUHÀ\LQJWKHDLUFUDIWWKHUHZDVDWHDPRI test, coordination was at times challenging. There were per- Defense System.
highly specialized engineers ensuring the rocket was ready